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Global Medicine, Parasites, and Tasmania

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-22, 04:03 authored by John GoldsmidJohn Goldsmid, Silvana BettiolSilvana Bettiol
Until the 1970s, infectious disease training in most medical schools was limited to those diseases common in the area of instruction. Those wishing to explore a more globalised curriculum were encouraged to undertake specialist postgraduate training at schools or institutes of tropical medicine. However, the increase in global trade and travel from the 1970s onward led to dramatic changes in the likelihood of returning travellers and new immigrants presenting with tropical infections in temperate regions. Furthermore, population growth and the changing relationships between animals, the environment, and man in agriculture accentuated the importance of a wider understanding of emerging infectious diseases, zoonotic diseases and parasitic infections. These epidemiological facts were not adequately reflected in the medical literature or medical curriculum at the time. The orientation on tropical infections needed specialised attention, including instruction on diagnosis and treatment of such infections. We describe key global health events and how the changing field of global medicine, from the 1970s to early 2000, impacted on medical education and research. We describe the impact of global health changes in the Tasmanian context, a temperate island state of Australia. We retrospectively analysed data of patients diagnosed with parasites and present a list of endemic and non-endemic parasites reported during this period. Finally, we reflect on the new approaches to the changing needs of global health and challenges that medical programmes, learners and educators face today.

History

Publication title

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease

Volume

5

ISSN

2414-6366

Department/School

Tasmanian School of Medicine

Publisher

MDPI AG

Place of publication

Switzerland

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Clinical health not elsewhere classified; Health education and promotion; Health protection and disaster response

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